A Man Without a Country
by Someone aka Me
Summary: In which Remus works at a bookstore, Regulus is a Vonnegut fan, and it all starts when Sirius goes to get his little brother a present. Wolfstar, slight JamesLily, muggle!au.


For the 2014 GGE for my beautiful JoJo. I know you won't read this anytime soon, but it's still for you, my love.

The title is from a collection of Vonnegut essays. I feel like it suits wolfstar, in this fic, adrift as they are.

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Sirius walks in slowly, looking around like the whole place is foreign — mostly because it is, to him. He blinks. The bookstore is a sort of organized clutter. In some cases the books have started spilling off the shelves, sitting in haphazard stacks on the floor or the chairs around the store.

Sirius wanders aimlessly, but the truth is, he's not sure what he's looking for. Apparently, this is evident, because after a moment a pale boy in a holey sweater approaches him.

"Hello," he says, his voice soft and clear. "Can I help you find something?"

Sirius grins somewhat sheepishly. "Yeah, actually. I'm looking for a gift for my little brother. He's a bit of a geek."

The boy chuckles lightly. "All right. I can do recommendations, but I'm really going to need more than 'a bit of a geek' to go on."

Sirius can't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I guess. The problem is, he's read most everything already." Sirius shrugs. "He loves everything, but I've never seen anything so well-read as his copy of _Cat's Cradle_."

The shop worker smiles. "Ah, a Vonnegut fan?" His eyes light up, and Sirius has the passing thought that he's insanely attractive with that look in his eyes. "I might have something for you, then," he says, apparently not noticing Sirius's expression. He turns, heading very deliberately toward the back. He weaves around the stacks gracefully, with the ease of practice.

He pulls out a book, his hands tracing lightly over the cover. He looks almost reverent.

"_Jailbird_," he says. "The newest Vonnegut novel. The revelations about Trout…" he shakes his head, and his eyes are alight again. He looks passionate and kind of beautiful. "It just came out, so I doubt he'll have read it."

"Perfect," Sirius says as he gently takes the offered book. "Thank you."

.

Sirius isn't a reader. That's always been Regulus, his nerdy little brother. He doesn't really go back to the bookstore for the books. He mostly goes back for the adorable clerk.

"I didn't catch your name last time," he says. The boy ducks his head shyly.

"I'm Remus," he says.

"Sirius," he offers. Remus smiles slightly.

And, because he needs some sort of excuse, Sirius actually buys a book. Remus recommends _Watership Down_. Sirius thinks he might be mad, purchasing a book about psychic rabbits, but it's his parents' money anyway.

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In the end, he reads it, and he finds that he surprisingly enjoys it quite a bit. It only takes him a few days, reading during the days and spending his nights at his job, bartending. He'd meant to skim it just enough that he could get by in a conversation with Remus, but after a few chapters, he's immersed.

He goes back to the bookstore less than a week later. Remus smiles when he comes in.

"Sirius, right? How was _Watership Down_?"

Sirius knows his surprise that Remus remembers flashes across his face. Remus smiles.

"Me remembering: Creepy, or cool?" Remus asks. Sirius grins.

"Definitely cool. And _Watership_ was great. Way better than I was expecting."

Remus eyes him. "We'll make a reader of you yet."

By the time Sirius leaves the bookstore, it's almost two hours later and he's got another book in his hands.

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Remus works at the bookstore almost every day, but every once in a while, he's out sick. He never explains, when he gets back. But Sirius never buys a book when Remus isn't there. It isn't quite the same.

And slowly, over the course of several months, Sirius falls in love with this boy with well-worn sweaters and stories in his head. Remus is somehow both quiet and lively, and Sirius is drawn to him. He is drawn to the way Remus's eyes light up when he talks about a personal favorite, the way Remus gnaws on his nails and the way he shakes his head when he notices that he's doing it. He watches Remus with other customers, too. The boy who seems so quiet and unassuming can instinctively match a person up with a book that's right for him. He never says much, but Sirius has never seen anyone leave the store disappointed.

One of the chairs in the bookstore is basically Sirius's chair by now. The regulars nod to him when they come in, some even stopping to say hi when Remus is busy stocking shelves or cashing someone out. Lily, a fiery redhead, is his favorite. He suspects she might be Remus's favorite as well, but Remus would never admit to having favorites.

Sirius knows that by this point, Remus has to know that Sirius isn't just showing up for the books. He can't bring himself to care. He comes nearly every day. Some days, he just brings Remus a cup of coffee from the nearby café that his best friend James works at. Some days, he buys books for Reg, because sometimes that's the only way his brother will look at him like he exists. Some days, he just sits in his chair and reads.

Remus never calls him out on it or tries to kick him out. Neither does Remus's manager, Poppy, whenever she shows up. She's not at the store often, because she also works at a nearby hospital — she does a lot, for one so young. But she thinks Sirius is adorable, apparently, and she says she'll never do anything to discourage young readers.

So it's partly to get out of the house and mostly to visit Remus every day.

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The first time he kisses Remus, it's in the sci-fi shelves. Remus is talking about Slaugterhouse-5 and his eyes are bright and Sirius can't really resist.

Remus's hands curl into the fabric of Sirius's t-shirt as he kisses back.

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Remus is terrified of Sirius's baby, his beautiful motorcycle, but that is forgivable.

He takes Remus to the coffee shop. James is James, ridiculous and teasing and totally okay with it all. James thinks Remus is perfect for Sirius. Remus thinks James is ridiculous, in the best way. Peter, James's coworker, thinks they're all hilarious.

Regulus, when he finally comes to the bookstore himself, takes one look at Remus and says, "Mum and Father would hate him. He's perfect for you."

Sirius grins and kisses Remus soundly. Reg rolls his eyes. Remus blushes.

Reg and Remus spend the rest of the time discussing Vonnegut as Sirius just sits and smiles contentedly at them both.

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The day after their first anniversary, Remus takes Sirius to meet his mother. She looks frail, dwarfed in the hospital sheets. She doesn't know who Remus is that day.

Sirius holds Remus while he cries.

A week later, Sirius tells his parents about Remus in the hopes that they'll be better people than he thinks they are.

They aren't.

They're actually worse.

They kick him out, tell him never to come back. Regulus looks broken as he watches Sirius leave.

This time, Remus holds Sirius as he stares blankly at the wall for a few hours before he finally cries.

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Sirius crashes on James's couch for two weeks before Remus finally tells him that that's stupid. They wind up splitting the rent on Remus's little apartment. By this time they're 21 and feeling invincible. James marries Lily, and Remus and Sirius argue over who gets matchmaker credit for it.

It's October, 1981. They are all blissfully happy.

For now.


End file.
